HCMC – The police have arrested five baggage handlers at Noi Bai International Airport on alleged charges of stealing passengers’ belongings.
Soc Son District’s police have pressed charges against Pham Van Truong, 33, Nguyen Minh Thao, 29, Tran Van Thanh, 31, Pham Van Tuan, 27, and Nguyen Van Thinh, 29.
An investigation was launched after a German passenger, identified as N.M.A, reported the loss of her belongings during a flight from Hanoi to Cam Ranh on August 22. Upon arriving at a hotel in Cam Ranh, she discovered that her checked luggage had been tampered with. Among the missing items were a set of white earphones and 500 euros in cash.
Following the passenger’s report, the Noi Bai International Airport Police Station initiated an investigation. In just over 12 hours, the suspects were apprehended.
The five baggage handlers confessed to working together to steal passengers’ belongings while loading luggage onto the aircraft from Terminal 1 at Noi Bai on August 22. Upon discovering that N.M.A’s luggage was not securely locked, they decided to pilfer valuable items from inside.
A stolen set of earphones was retained by one of the handlers for personal use, while the stolen cash was converted into local currency for personal expenses. The group admitted to successfully executing similar thefts in the past.
